


after the return

by callistawolf



Series: Drabbles, Ficlets, Prompts and One-Shots [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 19:25:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3220598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callistawolf/pseuds/callistawolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Felicity have a discussion after he returns to Starling City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	after the return

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry guys. This got hella angsty. But I like where I went with it. Hopefully you will too.

“We’ll give you two some time,” Dig said, his voice low.He turned to Roy.“C’mon, I’ll buy you a drink upstairs.” 

Felicity watched her two partners retreat upstairs.Roy glanced over his shoulder once, near the top of the stairs and she gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.She’d be fine, that smile was supposed to say.The only problem was, she wasn’t sure if it was true.  

The door upstairs clanged shut and Felicity turned to face her computers, running the tips of her fingers along the desktop as she stepped away from the foundry basement’s other occupant.  

“Felicity… look at me,” he pleaded. 

“I can’t,” she replied.  

“We need to talk.”

“What about?You’re not dead after all, I think that explains it all.”Bitterness laced her words and she hated the taste of them in her mouth.  

“You’re angry that I’m not dead?” 

Felicity turned to face Oliver, looking into his face for the first time since he’d revealed himself to her and the rest of the team just an hour ago. 

“I’m angry that you let me think you were dead.I’m angry that you’ve been away for almost a whole month; a _month_ , Oliver.Do you know what I went through?What we all went through?”

“Felicity…”He moved towards her and she held up a hand.

“Please, don’t.” Oliver stopped a few feet away, his fists clenching at his sides.“I grieved for you, Oliver.I haven’t felt pain like that… well ever.Not like that.And I had to see how your death affected Roy and Dig… and I worried about losing _them_ too.Now, all this time, it turns out that you weren’t dead at all.All of that was for… what?”

“Felicity, I understand that you’re confused and upset.But if you would just talk to me, you’ll see…”

“I don’t want to talk, Oliver.I’m glad you’re not dead, I’m glad that the team has you back.I’m just not sure what you thought I would do when I saw you.Launch myself into your arms and beg you never to leave my side ever again?” 

Oliver looked uncomfortable as he shifted his weight and looked away.  

“That is what you expected, isn’t it?” she asked.“Oliver, you’re the one that spent months telling me that you couldn’t be with me, that we couldn’t have a relationship.”

“I told you I love you!”

“I don’t want to be a woman you love!Not if it means that I don’t get to have you!” she cried. 

His blue eyes blazed as he grit his jaw.His fists flexed again. 

“Have you changed your mind?Are you now able to have a life as Oliver Queen, with me?” 

He shook his head minutely.“Felicity, its not that simple.”

“No, it actually is that simple, Oliver.You pushed me away because of your obligation to the city.What happened?You died and everyone else stepped up.We’ve all been taking care of the city without you here.Like Diggle, who has a life outside of this mission.”

He wavered a little in his stance and Felicity could see her words were affecting him.“I don’t even think I can have a normal life, normal hours, normal _anything_!”

“Fine,” she replied simply. “Then don’t.But that means you don’t get to expect me to leap into your arms and it means you don’t get to expect me to not have a normal life too.”

“I know that.”His eyes were desperately sad and she wished she could comfort him in this but she couldn’t.This wasn’t something she could just let go. 

“Do you?You’re going to let me walk out of here, date other men?Get married to another man?”

Oliver’s eyes snapped to hers.“Are you—You and Ray?”His voice cracked on the last syllable.  

“No!Definitely not.I’ve just been working with him, though he would like to pursue something more.I’ve turned him down because I was grieving for you and caught in that but now… well now that you’re not as dead as I’d thought you were… I suppose a relationship with Ray is something I might want to explore.”

Felicity had to avert her eyes from Oliver’s devastated expression.He didn’t say anything, just stared at her. 

“I’m sorry if that hurts you, Oliver, but if it bothers you so much then you can do something.You can fight for me.But you won’t because you think its impossible.” Felicity threw her hands up in the air, suddenly exhausted of the fight.“So let me go.That’s all you can do.”

Silence fell over both of them.Felicity knew that this was it.She knew that Oliver wouldn’t choose her and she knew, with startling clarity, what his next words would be. 

“I can’t watch you be with another man,” he told her quietly. 

Felicity nodded.“I know.So I think we know where that leaves us, don’t we?”She turned around and fetched her purse and coat from where she’d left them.She started to walk for the stairs, turning back momentarily. “I’ll make sure Dig has all the passwords and access codes.The systems down here are pretty automated, you guys should be able to figure it out.Call me if any problems come up and I can talk you through it.”

Oliver’s expression was resigned as he nodded.“Will do.”He cleared his throat. “Goodbye, Felicity.”

“Goodbye, Oliver.”

Her heels clacked as she made her way up the stairs and the door slammed with finality behind her as she let herself out of the lair for the last time. 

 


End file.
